Xizang Launches Its First Regular All-Cargo Air Route to Enhance Logistics Connectivity

On Thursday, the Xizang autonomous region in southwest China took a significant step in enhancing its logistics capabilities by launching its inaugural regular all-cargo air route. A Boeing 757-200 freighter, operated by SF Airlines, departed from Lhasa Konggar International Airport at 12:10 pm, with its destination set for Ezhou in Hubei province. This inaugural flight was loaded with various agricultural goods from Xizang, such as cherry tomatoes, eggs, rapeseed oil, and highland barley.

The new air route is set to operate once a week, and it aims to provide cargo capacity exceeding 30 tonnes weekly. Notably, it streamlines transport times, cutting down the traditional seven-to-ten days by land to just two to four days by air. This logistical advancement is anticipated to facilitate the distribution of Xizang specialties throughout the rest of China, while simultaneously ensuring high-quality goods from other regions can be delivered to Xizang more swiftly.

Liu Shuxin, an employee of the Xizang branch of SF Express, pointed out that given Xizang's strategic position as a gateway to South Asia, this route has the potential to broaden the reach of products from various parts of China in the region. Additionally, official statistics indicate that in the first half of 2025, the civil aviation sector in Xizang recorded 3.7 million passenger journeys and transported 26,000 tonnes of cargo and mail, reflecting increases of 3 percent and 7.9 percent year-on-year, respectively.